Locking protocols are mechanisms used in computer systems to manage access to shared resources, ensuring that multiple processes do not interfere with each other. By using locks, a system can prevent data corruption and maintain consistency when multiple users or processes attempt to read or write to the same data simultaneously. There are various types of locking protocols, such as two-phase locking and optimistic concurrency control. Each protocol has its own rules for acquiring and releasing locks, which helps to balance performance and data integrity. Proper implementation of locking protocols is crucial in environments like databases and multithreaded applications.